Diocesan Parishes to Host Myrrh-Streaming Hawaii Iveron Icon of the Mother of God

JOHNSTOWN, PA -- The Diocesan Chancery has announced that Christ the Saviour Cathedral and three other diocesan parishes will have the honor of hosting the Wonderworking Myrrhstreaming Hawaii Iveron Icon of the Mother of God during the month of October 2011. This will allow the faithful in various locations of the diocese to experience the powerful intercession of the Mother of God.

This will be the second visitation of the Myrrhstreaming Hawaii Iveron Icon of the Mother of God to Christ the Saviour Cathedral, which was graced with its visitation a year prior:

All Diocesan and Local Orthodox Clergy and faithful are cordially invited to participate in this opportunity for prayer and intercession in the presence of this wonderworking icon.

To accomodate those who are not able to attend, and share this blessing with those confined to home, the visitation of the icon to Christ the Saviour Cathedral will be broadcast live via the world wide web.

This wonder working icon is an exact replica of a famous myrrh-streaming icon in Montreal of the Theotokos ("Mother of God") of Iveron. It is a paper print mounted on wood, manufactured in Russia and purchased in Toronto by a priest who gave it to a Russian Orthodox believer in Honolulu in 2007.

In October of that year, the owner, Nectarios, noticed the sweet smell of roses in his study. An investigation caused him to discover this icon was exuding small drops of myrrh, coming from the Virgin's eyes and dripping down the panel.

He later took it to his parish church where it continued to emit this sweet-smelling substance. It became quite famous in Hawaii, and a large number of visitors from all Christian traditions have come to visit the icon, "feeling the grace of God" in its presence. Some days the icon is dry and others it is completely covered in myrrh. Yet it continuously gives off the scent of roses.

In June 2008, the Holy Myrrh-Streaming Hawaiian Iveron Icon was "officially recognized by Archbishop Kyrill of the Russian Orthodox Church as miraculous and genuine and given the blessing to travel to churches of Holy Orthodoxy."

The icon, which is enshrined in a home chapel in Honolulu, has been credited with numerous healings during the past three years.